


Pancakes

by Hot_elf



Category: The Originals (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Domestic Fluff, Fix-It, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:46:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24643546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hot_elf/pseuds/Hot_elf
Summary: AU where Josh and Aiden live happily ever after in a lovely apartment in Berlin after their successful escape from New Orleans. Pure saccharine fluff featuring puppies and pancakes. Because that's what should have happened.
Relationships: Aiden/Josh Rosza
Comments: 8
Kudos: 19





	Pancakes

"Mmhmm, do I smell pancakes?" Aiden's voice was a little slurred from sleep, and his body, pressed tight against Josh's back, was warm and relaxed.

For a moment, Josh was genuinely tempted to abandon breakfast and join his boyfriend in bed again. But he had plans for today, and they involved a stack of freshly made pancakes and a big bottle of Canadian maple syrup from the health food store. And later on, the small black jewellery box in his pocket, but at least Aiden hadn't spotted that yet. He tried to keep the idiotic happy grin from his face, but it was a pointless exercise, and he knew it.

Leaning back into Aiden's embrace, he twisted his head just far enough around to breathe a quick kiss on his cheek, taking care not to spill any batter on the stove top. "Damn, you're awake. I was going to surprise you."

"Well, consider me duly surprised." Aiden's grip around his waist tightened affectionately. "Hey, will you still make pancakes for me when I'm old and grizzled and all my teeth have fallen out?"

"I might." Josh pretended to ponder the question. "Though I may have to puree them and feed them to you with a spoon. Ouch! Hey, I know you're not toothless yet – no need to bite me to prove your point."

Aiden laughed softly in his ear, softening the sting of his bite with a kiss, and Josh sighed. There was really nothing funny about the idea of Aiden growing old and dying, while he himself was going to stay young forever, cursed to eternal life. But joking about it was the only way they had to cope with it, so far.

"Well, either way, I think – eek!" Aiden jumped back a step, and Josh had to hide another grin, while his annoyed squeal lingered in the air.

It was easy to guess what had happened. If he wasn't very much mistaken, it involved Aiden's bare legs, and the very wet, very cold nose of their Labrador puppy, Fudgie. The dog had only recently found out that applying said nose firmly to the back of a person's knees produced the most delightful effects, and now he was eager to try out his new trick at every opportunity.

"Damn it, Fudge! I told you not to-" The puppy made a small distressed noise, and of course Aiden was putty in his paws. "Oh, all right. Come here, you little mutt." Picking up the dog, he settled in a kitchen chair and watched as Josh finished the pancakes.

Their aroma filled the air, sweet and delicious, making his mouth water. Outside, a few birds were happily chirping in the branches of the old chestnut tree, and the morning sun was shining through the high windows, warming the polished wooden floors of their apartment. It had been a fortuitous find: three spacious rooms on the fourth floor of a gorgeous old townhouse, smack in the middle of Berlin's fashionable Prenzlauer Berg district. Just what they had dreamed of, back in New Orleans, and they both still couldn't quite wrap their minds around how lucky they were.

Everyone had welcomed them with open arms around here. Obviously, they had taken care to conceal their true natures, and Josh doubted that anyone would have approved of having a vampire and a werewolf in their midst. But the fact that they were a gay couple didn't seem to faze anyone much. Their current neighbours included a French girl, who had eyed them both speculatively but hadn't commented on their living arrangements, two elderly couples who seemed ecstatic about having such quiet and well-behaved neighbours, and a chaotic but friendly young family with three children in the apartment right above them, the pitter-patter of their little feet on the wooden floors providing a constant but agreeable background noise.

Josh quickly laid the table and transferred the stack of pancakes there, and then they sat in silence for a few minutes, while Aiden polished off an impressive amount of food. The syrup bottle emptied quickly, as he poured generous amounts over each pancake and then practically inhaled it in one eager gulp. Josh loved teasing him about his table manners, but deep down inside, he really loved watching Aiden eat. He himself had a few pancakes to keep Aiden company, but for the most part, his own pleasure came from watching his efforts being appreciated.

Finally, Aiden leaned back with a contented sigh, rubbing his stomach, but when his gaze fell on Josh's phone on the printed tablecloth, his expression darkened. "Any news from Davina?"

"None." Josh shook his head. "But that's okay. She said she'd only get in touch if anything was wrong. So, no news is good news, as far as I'm concerned."

"You really think they fell for it?" Aiden was glancing nervously over his shoulder, as if he expected one of their enemies from back home to show up any moment. "You're sure Davina kept up the glamour long enough to fool them, and they really think I'm dead?"

"Of course they do. They even had a proper Crescent funeral for you and all. Hey, that stuff was so convincing that I almost believed it myself." Josh felt his throat tighten at the memory – the dead body that looked so much like his boyfriend, lying on the ground in that dirty little alley, with his heart carelessly torn out, his face ravaged by the hybrid's vicious claws. He had actually broken down at the sight – no need to pretend being devastated. "I cried my eyes out when I saw the body."

"You know, in a way, I feel sorry for the dead guy." Aiden shifted uncomfortably. "I mean, we all knew Klaus was going to be mad at me, but somehow I didn't expect him to go straight for the kill."

"I know. Me neither. It does seem a bit over the top, even for him." Josh placed a calming hand on Aiden's clenched fist. "But hey, don't worry. From what Davina told me, the guy was pumped so full of drugs that he wouldn't have survived another day anyway. It was probably a mercy for him to go so fast."

"Still…" Aiden looked so dejected that even Fudgie noticed and started licking his hands, eager to make him happy again. "It seems unfair."

"It was the only way. Even so, we only just got out in time. And we had to make it look real, or they would have suspected foul play." With a sigh, Josh started to clean up the dishes. "No one will come looking for you, trust me. As far as they are concerned, you're just another bit of _collateral damage_." It was hard to keep the bitterness out of his voice. "And they won't miss me either. They are just going to tell themselves that I was always too weak for their little games, and that they're better off without me."

"You're not weak!" Aiden's mood turned from worry to indignation in a heartbeat, and it made Josh smile. "You're the only person I've ever known to stand up against the Original family and survive! There's nothing weak about that."

"Well, I didn't actually survive them," Josh pointed out with a sardonic grin. "Vampire, remember? Technically undead."

"Whatever." Aiden was clearly unwilling to be distracted. "My point still stands. Anyway, what are your plans for today?"

"I don't know." The box with the ring suddenly felt heavier in Josh's pocket. He had booked a table for dinner at the little Vietnamese restaurant around the corner. The plan was to pop the question over a delicious curry later tonight, but some part of him wasn't sure he'd be able to wait that long. "Maybe we could take Fudgie for a walk?"

He cursed himself the moment the words left his mouth, because of course the dog recognised the word _walk_. From one moment to the other, they had an excited little furball on their hands, who kept leaping up and down, barking frantically, trying to convince them to leave _right now!_

"Honestly, Josh? I'm not even dressed yet." Aiden rolled his eyes at him. "Down, Fudge. Sit. Sit, damn it! What's 'sit' in German?"

"That dog understands English perfectly well. He just doesn't want to." It was Josh's turn to give his boyfriend an indignant look. "And it's _sitz_. Really not that different, you know. If you'd join me for my German classes-"

"Oh, come on!" Aiden seemed unimpressed by his glare. "Learning German is like having your teeth pulled one by one. And besides, I really don't need it. They don't even _want_ me to speak German, down at the bar. They prefer my 'authentic New Orleans accent'." He grinned, painting air quotes with both hands.

Unlike Josh, Aiden had found a job straight away, tending the bar at the little café-cum-bar right opposite their apartment. The _Jambalaya_ was a charming hipster place that offered avocado toast and elderberry lemonade during the day and exotic cocktails at night. They had been all over Aiden the moment he had walked in, with his dark good looks and his Southern drawl. He was perfectly happy working there four nights a week, and he was raking in a small fortune in tips, in addition to his generous salary.

Josh, on the other hand, had signed up for a BA in Interior Design at a small international college. It had been easy enough to compel them to accept his application and waive their fees, and fortunately, most of the classes were taught in English anyway. Still, he felt he should know at least a few basic German words and phrases.

"It just seems so impolite, you know," he said aloud. "We can't just expect everyone to speak our language when they talk to us."

"Why not?" Aiden shrugged. "They seem happy enough to show off their English. Anyway, a W-A-L-K with the dog is fine with me. And what then? I don't have to work tonight, so we could go clubbing, if you want."

"Hmmm." Josh pretended to think about it. "Maybe. Or maybe…" He reached into his pocket again, and yes, the box was still there. His heart was beating faster, as he pulled Aiden in for a kiss. "Or maybe you'll just have to let me surprise you again." 

**Author's Note:**

> Huggles and thanks to my awesome beta suilven


End file.
